BALTIMORE – On the day the Toronto Blue Jays were eliminated from post-season contention, clips of a Vladimir Guerrero Jr. interview went viral and the star first baseman stepped in a heaping pile of his own making.

Speaking in Spanish to Vernonica Batista of Noticias Telemicro, the struggling slugger discussed finding comfort in conversations with his Hall-of-Fame father during sleepless nights resulting from angst over his lack of performance, and the on-and-off back injury that he said wasn’t an excuse for his troubles at the plate. But it was a preview clip that circulated online with Guerrero saying he received his $500-million, 14-year contract not “for what I’m going to do, it was for what I already did, they didn’t pay me because I’m going to hit 40 every year, they paid me for what I already accomplished,” that triggered a social media firestorm that neither he, nor his team, needed.

Even if the intention behind his comments was somewhat lost in translation — what he seems to be trying to get across is that he earned the contract, not that he doesn’t need to live up to it — there was no chance of the message sitting well given the down season he had, and its impact on the Blue Jays’ fortunes.

Speaking outside the visitors’ clubhouse after the 4-2 loss to the Baltimore Orioles........

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